Flash Flooding and Hail in Oklahoma, October 2, 1998

Thunderstorms developed over portions of central Oklahoma on the 2nd resulting in flooding across Kay and Garfield Counties and scattered reports of large hail and damaging straight-line winds. A house on Breckinridge Road in Enid in Garfield County was struck by lightning just after midnight blowing out a brick wall and starting a small fire. Another fire started by lightning occurred a few hours later in Ponca City in Kay County where a banner at a house in the 3200 block of North 14th St. was struck, which then ignited a small fire. Between 6 and 8 inches of rain fell across much of Kay County during the early morning. The Bois D'Arc Creek and many other smaller streams nearby overflowed their banks resulting in numerous roads being closed, including portions of Highway 177, Highway 11, Highway 60, the Highland Extension, State Highway 156 at the Salt Fork River, many city streets in Ponca City, and 13th Street south of Blackwell. Several vehicles were washed off of Highway 177, 4 miles south of Ponca City at 0400 CST, while 3 other vehicles were washed off of a road 3 miles northwest of Ponca City at 0900 CST. Another vehicle traveled beyond a barricade 1 mile northwest of Ponca City at 1410 CST and was washed off of the road. Three occupants needed to be rescued from flooded cars, but they were uninjured. Two homes also had to be evacuated. Three to 6 inches of rain fell across Garfield County causing the Red Rock Creek north of Garber to overflow its banks. Highway 74 needed to be closed for several hours. The only report of wind damage came from 3 miles south of Blanchard in McClain County at 0330 CST, where 10 inch diameter tree limbs where blown down and barn doors were blown off.